The government has stressed on the environment in the proposed budget for 2015-16 fiscal year. Among the initiatives it spelled out in the budget is to install around 3 crore environment-friendly stoves in the country by 2030. Finance Minister AMA Muhith announced the plan in his budget speech in parliament on Thursday. Around 20 lakh smoke-free improved stoves have been installed across the country in order to reduce health hazards of mothers and children and to save energy, he said. The minister said the central bank has created a refinancing scheme to finance such projects and sectors like solar energy, biogas plant, and affluent treatment plant. Initiatives have been taken to shift tanneries from Hazaribag and other places to Savar to cut environment pollution and it will be complete within the next fiscal year,” he said. Meanwhile, the government has taken up a project to construct 200 multipurpose cyclone shelters in 78 upazilas of 14 coastal districts in a bid to strengthen disaster response capacity. Muhith mentioned that along with the construction of physical infrastructure, the government has taken initiatives to create an efficient disaster response system and trained volunteer team for combating disaster. He also said that the government is also putting emphasis on afforestation and preservation of bio-diversity to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change and create a livable environment. Thirty four forests have been declared as reserve forests to preserve bio-diversity. “The government has taken up plans to carry out extensive afforestation in degraded forests, marginal and private land to protect ecological balance. Along with this, the concept of social afforestation is being used as a tool to protect biodiversity and reduce poverty,” he said. The finance minister informed that the government has taken a number of steps to expand eco-tourism industry in the country. He said, “We have already opened Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park with international standard facilities at Gazipur and Sheikh Russel Aviary and Eco Park in Chittagong. “A site has been chosen to establish an eco-park in Sylhet which will soon be opened while the Sundarban Tourism Policy has been approved.” In order to protect erosion of river banks, roads and highways, a field trial of environment-friendly jute geo-textile in Bangladesh and India has been completed following its invention, said Muhith. He expressed his hope saying, “I hope that from next fiscal year the Water Development Board, Roads and Highways department, LGED and other departments will use this product extensively which will help protect environmental damage and at the same time, rejuvenate jute industry.”